More and more people are getting their news from social media. While there is nothing wrong with that, some people are getting fooled by what could be called “fake news sites.” I get emails from people asking me if a particular story is true. Sometimes people who call my radio program quote from a fake news site and don’t understand the satire used in the story.

This commentary is a public service to help you and your friends know which sites aren’t to be taken seriously. If you would like more information, you might look up a story by Jesse Carey who provides a rundown of these sites so that you will “never be fooled again.”

At the top of the list is “The Onion.” It has been around for years, and I would hope most people would know that it is just having fun with its headlines and stories. Another clue would be the claim that it is “America’s finest news source.” And most Christians don’t quote from it too often simply because so many of the headlines are off color. But be warned. Anything you read in “The Onion” is not true.

Some fake news sites might be harder to spot because they have names that sound legitimate. World News Daily Report may seem like a good place to get news. But all you have to do is read their disclaimer. It says: “World News Daily Report is a news and political satire web publication, which may or may not use real names, often in semi-real or mostly fictitious ways. All news articles contained within worldnewsdailyreport.com are fiction, and presumably fake news.”

Some other legitimate-sounding fake news sites would be “National Report” and “Empire News.” Both have a webpage format that looks like a real news site. But don’t take what they post on their website seriously. They are also fake news sites.

There are a number of other sites that have odd names, which should be your clue that they aren’t legitimate either. These would be “The News Nerd” and “Lark News” and “Chickhole.” I would hope that the names alone with tip you off to the fact that they are also fake news sites.

We need to exercise some discernment when you see a news story. Sometimes it may just be a satirical attempt to ridicule a personality or news story.